The present invention relates to the field of audio file transfers and, more particularly, relates to the field of management and distribution of audio files over a computer network such as the Internet.
The Internet is a worldwide array of interconnected computers and information servers that allow anyone with a computer and access to the Internet to get information about virtually any subject 24 hours a day. For the average consumer, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides access to the Internet. ISPs such as CompuServe, Prodigy, and America On-Line, currently link over ten million users to the Internet. Users typically connect to the ISP by using standard telephone lines and a telephone modem. Cable modems that allow a user to connect to the ISP over cable television lines, and satellite connections to the Internet, are also available.
The Internet provides a wealth of information from stock reports to headline news. One of the newer services provided on the Internet is a streaming audio (e.g., RealAudio and MPEG audio) service. Streaming audio services are often provided in connection with the World Wide Web (Web) and thus are often called Web radio broadcasts. With streaming audio, a user with a Personal Computer (PC), a sound card, and the necessary software can listen to audio programs from anywhere in the world. For example, Radio Prague provides daily Internet broadcasts from the Czech Republic. Listeners in the U.S. can listen to these Web radio broadcasts either in real time, or stored for later replay. Thus, unlike more traditional radio broadcasts where the listener must be within a reception area, Web radio broadcasts can be heard anywhere, so long as the listener has a connection to the Internet and the necessary computer hardware and software.
Unfortunately, even with the ever-decreasing cost of personal computers, the hardware and software needed to listen to a Web radio broadcast is beyond the financial means of many people. Even for those that can afford a personal computer, listening to a Web radio broadcast ties up the computer so that the user cannot use it for other purposes. Moreover, the use of a personal computer to receive streaming audio (e.g., Web radio broadcasts) requires a certain amount of computer literacy on the part of the user. The user must be able to install the Web Radio software, configure the Web Radio software to communicate with the ISP, and find the various Web radio broadcasts provided on the Web.
In addition to listening to Web radio broadcasts, users may wish to listen to audio files. With a group of PC's in a home and in a network, users can download songs from one PC to another or upload songs from one PC to another. However, users cannot play a song on one PC by using the controls of another PC. In addition, the users must purchase multiple PC's, which can be costly. Further, the user must be able to install the network connection and the appropriate software. Moreover, even if the user can afford to purchase multiple PC's and install the proper connection, the user would have difficulty playing music in addition to performing other tasks on the PC. For example, the Web radio broadcast may be interrupted. Also, a skip over parts of a song may result if the user is using a word processing program at the same time as listening to music.